The Soul Rider
by KawaiiShofu
Summary: Rukia is the secret savior of Karakura City by night. When Ichigo moves in with her, a strange, dynamic relationship forms between them, bringing them closer than they ever expected. IchiRuki. Romance. Action. Little adventure&humor. Kick-ass comforting.
1. Savior

**(A/N): Hi there. This is my second story. My first was about Ichigo and Rukia going to high school together, and over the past week, I thought that it was too typical of an IchiRuki fanfic. So, I'm going to try to write a new, different story, hopefully something someone hasn't already written about yet. **

**Just a warning… This won't be a story where Ichigo and Rukia get together within the first couple of chapters. But, it will be about romance and it'll have action, and some humor here and there. And some OC's, because I don't want Ichigo to nail every female in the Bleach series. Haha.**

**Rukia's hair in this story is longer than it is in the series. It stops just below her chest. Also, she is a little taller and has a more feminine build. Her body is more developed and she looks more like a woman than a midget. However, she is still considered petite and shorter than most of the Bleach characters, so it'll make sense when/if they throw height slams at her. **

**Ichigo can fight in this story. He's strong but is just a regular adult. When he and Rukia first meet, their fighting abilities are on the same level as when Rukia first steps foot into Ichigo's room (before he got his Shinigami powers). **

**And I guess Rukia will be like Spiderman in this story, haha. **

**Summary: **Kurosaki Ichigo is a young, attractive womanizer. He is looking for one thing and one thing only: A private place where he can bring home his dates. His family, especially his father and sister Karin, constantly bothers him when he brings home a woman, and he's getting tired of it—up to the point where he holds a grudge against his family. When Kuchiki Rukia, a seemingly average woman opens her home for rent with a price Ichigo couldn't turn down, Ichigo takes advantage of the opportunity. At first, living with her seemed easy, but as the days go on, they find themselves at each others' throats. During his stay with her, Ichigo finds out Rukia's secret, which brings them closer than they thought they'd ever be.

**I hope you enjoy reading. Here goes my crappy story…**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or its characters.**

Chapter 1 – Savior

A young man with bright orange hair guided his date through the dark of the night to the front door of the Kurosaki residence. He turned the key in the lock and jiggled the knob open, leading her into the lighted living room of his home.

"My dad and sisters might bother us," he informed his date as he rolled his eyes. "Sorry I can't find a more.. private place for us to hang."

She twirled a lock of her purple hair around her finger and giggled. "It's fine, Ichigo-kun." She hesitantly took a seat on the living room couch, as this was her first date with him.

Ichigo gave her his signature smug smile and took a seat next to her after closing the door. So far, neither Isshin, Yuzu, nor Karin have gone down the stairs, and usually they would by now. _This is my chance_, the young man thought. _Now I can make a move on this chick and nail her before she even realizes it. _

He took the young woman's hand in his and kissed the back of it. "You comfortable, Sen?"

She blushed lightly and nodded. "U-Uh huh! V-Very!" She could feel her body tense up at the feel of his lips against her skin. They'd just gone out for dinner, but she never thought he'd invite her to come home with him.

Just as his trail of kisses reached her shoulders, his crazy father came running down the stairs. "GIRLS, THERE'S ANOTHER ONE!" he yelled to his daughters upstairs, who quickly followed after him. Isshin pointed at Ichigo and his date, who scowled in return, and hopped over to the couple.

He extended his hand to Senna Shinenju, one of the girls that he knew was, unfortunately, a part of Ichigo's game. "Hello there, young lady! My name is Isshin and –" A strong punch cut him off, sending him flying into the kitchen.

"Otou-san!" Yuzu cried, running towards her father to see if anything was the matter.

Ichigo stood and clenched his fist. "Everyone. Get out. **Now**," he ordered, pointing towards the stairs. "I'm tired of you guys ruining my dates!"

Karin ignored him and took a seat next to Senna, resting her feet on the coffee table next to Senna's purse. "So, where'd Ichi-nii pick you up? Near a dumpster? 'Cause the way you dress makes you look trashy."

Senna sat up straight, appalled by how someone younger could insult her like that. "No, you brat," she spat back. "I work at the club, where a _real _woman would work. Who needs to be a teacher or a doctor? We have men for that."

"Karin, leave her alone," Ichigo demanded. "She's only been here, what, 10 minutes? And you're already throwing insults at her? Just stay out of it."

Ignoring him again, Karin stared Senna right in the eyes. "No, you idiot. A _real _woman would go around and fight crime like Soul Rider-san, or be the commander of the Omnitsukido like Shihoin-san."

Senna couldn't help but scoff at the 15 year old. "You kids are so immature nowadays. That Soul Rider chick doesn't even exist. It's probably some tactic the Japanese government is using to trick us into thinking it's safe to go out at night. No woman in her right mind would be able to fight crime at night—it's just so unlikely," she stated as a matter-of-factly.

Karin could feel her head about to explode. Her cheeks puffed up and her face turned red. "That's not true! Soul Rider-san protects us at night! She's always on the news! There is absolutely _no way _she's fake!"

"Both of you calm down right now!" Ichigo ran a hand through his hair and scowled. "Senna, just get out. Go home. Maybe we can try again some other time."

She shrugged and stood, picking up her purse. "Fine. Whenever you're ready," she said as she walked out the door.

Karin scowled back at her brother. "Why were you defending her? I bet you don't even like her."

Ichigo shrugged and grabbed a soda from the fridge. "Doesn't matter if I don't like her. I don't like any of the girls I date."

Yuzu helped Isshin up from the ground. She gave her brother a disapproving look and sighed. "That's terrible, Ichi-nii… What would Okaa—"

"You know what? Why don't you guys all just leave me alone! I'm tired of hearing about what Mom would do or say to me if she was still alive today!" he barked at them, slightly crushing his soda can. "If you need me, I'll be in my room—and please, try not to need me."

"I liked it better when you actually cared about this family! You're not even our brother anymore! You're just some stupid idiot who wastes his time on women!" Karin screamed, but Ichigo ignored her and continued up the stairs.

Isshin put a hand on Karin's shoulder. "Don't waste your breath, kiddo. He won't listen, and it looks like he never will. I don't approve of you two talking to each other that way, and I know you miss how he used to be, but you also have to understand that the way he copes with Masaki's death is by getting with women."

"…I just don't understand how that helps him cope with it…" Yuzu shared. "It just gives him less time to hang out with us…"

Karin angrily dropped her body on the couch and turned on the TV, which last left off on the news channel.

"_The Soul Rider has made her nightly appearance again. She cruised right by on her aircycle, stopping a bank robbery just in the niche of time. Again, we are grateful to her and are in debt for the last 2 years she's given us. We still have yet to discover who she really is under that helmet."_

The ebony-haired girl's eyes instantly glued to the television screen. The Soul Rider was a woman who rode a white motorcycle that ran on air. She wore a white leather body suit with black knee-high boots, black gloves, and a white motorcycle helmet. A skull buckle decorated her black belt, along with various types of guns with special ammunition. During the day, the police would fight crime; but during the night, the Soul Rider would cruise around the streets of Karakura City and hand criminals' asses to them. Karin had always looked up to the Soul Rider and wished to fight like she did one day. It made her want to drop kick Senna when she accused Soul Rider-san of being fake.

"Whoa! Did you see that?" the young girl mused as she watched Soul Rider's every move on-screen. Isshin and Yuzu turned to watch Soul Rider front flip off of her aircycle towards the entrance of the bank, stopping the robber dead in his tracks. She squatted down on her legs and turned with her leg stretched out, tripping him and sending him to the ground. She stood and grabbed one of the guns from her belt and pointed it at the rest of the robbers. Pulling the trigger, a mass of snow flooded around their feet and soon solidified into ice, rendering them unable to move.

Just as Soul Rider got to her feet, one robber tried to strike her down with a crow bar from behind, but on reflex, she turned around and grabbed it before it could make contact with her body. She pulled the bar out of his hand, yanking him forward towards her in the process, and kneed him hard in the stomach, making him double over in pain. Police sirens could be heard in the distance, and Soul Rider took it as her cue to leave. She was sure they would take them into custody, and that was all she needed to know.

She hopped on her aircycle and sped off into the night, waving at the police officers who stood by to thank her as she left.

"That was so cool!" Yuzu cheered. "Wasn't it, Otou-sama?"

Isshin pumped his fist into the air. "Of course! She is Karakura City's savior!"

Karin smirked. "I told that girl Ichi-nii brought home that Soul Rider was real!" The three continued to watch TV together, still in awe over the Soul Rider.

-X-X-X-X-X-

Ichigo took a seat in front of his laptop and started typing away on Google. _Man, I need to find a place to stay… My stupid family is driving me nuts! _He searched for rooms for rent, but most of the results were from all the way across town.

Ichigo was 23 years old. When his mother died 9 years ago, he felt like his life was over. He felt crushed and alone. He pushed his family away because every time he looked at them, it reminded him of his mother. He and his mother were extremely close, and the loss of her just made him feel like shit. She was his everything, and she was the only person he wanted to protect. He couldn't forgive himself for not being able to push her out of the way in time. _Why couldn't it have been me that got hit?_

So when Jaegerjaquez Grimmjow, one of Ichigo's closest friends, suggested he started playing girls, he was skeptical at first. The first girl he ever played was Tatsuki Arisawa, and when he crushed her heart, it somehow made him feel good. The world took away the person most important to him, so as revenge, he crushed the hearts of innocent young women. Why women? He didn't know. He guessed it was just the satisfaction of seeing someone cry and wonder what they ever did to deserve having their heart crushed. Well, that was exactly how he felt.

It was cynical. It wasn't good at all. Ichigo had a heart, but the death of his mother shrouded it behind hatred for the world. He loved his friends. He loved his family. But for the past 9 years, all his family reminded him of was his mother. And that only left his friends—the only people he treated with respect.

Women couldn't see passed Ichigo's looks. All they saw was a handsome, tall, muscular man who knew how to smooth talk any woman into doing anything. They didn't know he would step all over them the minute he got them in bed. It was all a part of his game plan: Have dinner, take them to a motel, and once they agreed to have sex with him, he'd dump them and leave them there crying, covering their naked bodies up with sheets. The motel plan would have worked up until this day, had Ichigo had a job that could pay for the rooms. Motels nowadays were expensive, and the only cheap ones were on the other side of town—he already had to pay for gas for his car.

So there he was, searching up a cheap place to rent to get away from his annoying family and to finally crush some hearts. Just as he was about to give up, a new result blinked on his screen, and it was the answer to all of his prayers.

"_Room up for rent. Very cheap. Located at 0114 Shirayuki St. 71588. Must have cooking skills, cell phone, and car in case of emergency visits to the hospital. Contact Miss Kuchiki Rukia at this number for your interview."_

It was perfect. Ichigo learned so many cooking tips from Yuzu that he didn't even need her to prepare his meals anymore. The picture provided was of a peaceful looking, white, two-story home. The garage could fit two cars, the lawn was perfect and healthy, it was located in a friendly neighborhood, and the house looked sturdy. By the description, Ichigo figured this "Kuchiki Rukia" person must be over 50 years old if she lived alone and needed someone available to take her to the hospital when she needed to be there. _Great. She'll probably be so old, she won't even notice my dates, let alone notice me walk through the front door. _

He called the number provided, to which a man answered, "Urahara Kisuke, a close friend of Kuchiki Rukia's, at your service! She can't get to the phone right now. How may I help you?"

Ichigo leaned back in his seat. "Yeah, uh… I just saw the ad she put online and I was wondering if I could stop by tomorrow and check out the place."

"Alright! What's your name?" Kisuke asked, grabbing a pen and a notepad.

"Kurosaki Ichigo. What time will Rukia be free?"

Kisuke crinkled his nose at how rude and informally Ichigo addressed his close friend. "Well, Kurosaki-san, does 12 PM work out for you?"

"I'll be there. Thanks, man. See you." Before Kisuke could say anything else, Ichigo quickly ended the call. He hated rambling on and on after saying bye; it was annoying.

He got up and stripped off his clothing, replacing it with his sleeping attire. He fell backwards onto his bed and closed his eyes. He couldn't wait for tomorrow; he was just one step closer to getting out of the house.

-X-X-X-X-X-

A woman in a white leather body suit, black knee-high boots, black gloves and a white helmet pulled up in the driveway of a white home on her white aircycle. She quickly got off of the vehicle and made a fist with her left hand, pointing a ring in the shape of a skull towards it. The ring emitted a white light, engulfing the aircycle and sucking it into the vicinity of the ring, leaving it nowhere in sight. She pulled out keys and selected the correct one, opening the front door of the home.

"Urahara-san, I'm home!" she called. "Did I get any messages?" She closed the door behind her and threw the keys on a nearby desk, taking off her helmet as she did so. Long, ebony locks of hair fell out of the helmet, and one lone bang hung smack-dab in between the woman's beautiful violet eyes. She was young, about 22 years old, and was tired from her nightly duties. She was Kuchiki Rukia, the Soul Rider of Karakura City.

An older man descended down the stairs with a smile on his face. "Welcome home, Kuchiki-san!" he picked up his cane and pointed it towards the phone. "You got a call earlier. A rather rude man is coming at 12 PM tomorrow to be interviewed. Are you sure you want to put up the extra room for rent?"

Rukia shook out the tangles in her hair and set her helmet on the living room table. "Yeah. Living alone is boring during the day. Byakuya-Nii-sama lives all the way across the city, Jinta and Ururu's room is cramped, and I need someone to house sit when I'm gone at night. That way, you don't have to house sit anymore. You can enjoy your time with Yoruichi-san and the kids."

Kisuke smiled again. "Well, that does sound nice. Yoruichi-san has been pestering me about spending time with the kids… Thank you, Kuchiki-san."

She smiled back at him. "Don't worry about it. Once I meet someone suitable for the job, you'll be free to spend time with your family."

Kisuke and Rukia were close friends. They met 5 years ago on the streets of Karakura City. After promising Byakuya that she would do fine without him in a big city like this, her life went downhill. She didn't want to be a burden to him anymore after Hisana was murdered. He wanted to protect his little sister, but when Rukia turned 17, she assured him she'd be fine, and so he allowed her to move to the other side of town. Having already graduated college at such a young age, she roamed around looking for a job, but no one would hire her because she seemed like such a weak, small girl. So, that left her on the streets. She had no money and no way of contacting Byakuya, and even if she did have a way, she didn't have the heart to tell him she couldn't make it on her own.

That's when Kisuke found her. He saw potential in her. He saw how she fought off men who would gawk at her or try to take her home with them. Kisuke was a scientist, and he was working on artificial bodies called Gigai, memory-loss devices, a motorcycle that ran on air, special cell phones, guns with special ammunition—from the regular bullets to snow and ice, and other crazy things. He made her an offer she couldn't resist: to be his test subject, and in return, he'd give her a place to stay and provide for her.

At first, his wife, Shihoin Yoruichi, was skeptical about the whole thing, but being the head of the military organization Omnitsukido and being a risk-taker herself, she decided to take Rukia in as well. Rukia got along with their adopted kids, Jinta and Ururu, and helped Tessai, the Shihoin-Urahara's butler, with the chores as well. Yoruichi considered her a daughter.

For 3 years, Rukia helped Kisuke perfect his inventions by trying them out in an underground training facility he and Yoruichi built themselves, and for the past 2 years, she's been fighting crime at night as the Soul Rider, a nickname given to her by the citizens of Karakura.

Kisuke even helped her get a job as a waitress at a popular family restaurant called Sweet Tea. Aside from protecting the lives of innocent people at night, Rukia was just an average woman by day just getting by with a decent-paying job. She finally got promoted to assistant manager at the restaurant after working her ass off for 4 years, and she finally had enough money to get her own place. She just needed someone to house sit for her when she was gone at night, and she was tired of asking Kisuke. She already felt like she had a debt to repay him. Because of him, she had a job, she kept in contact with Byakuya, and she was able to save the lives of many people—something she wanted to do in honor of her sister.

"Kuchiki-san, you know you can come back any time you like," Kisuke offered, but she shook his head at him.

"Urahara-san, you've already done so much for me. Just let me take care of things now. You just sit back and hang with Yoruichi-san and your kids, okay?" She ascended up the stairs, intending to get ready for bed. "I'll meet everyone who wants to rent tomorrow. Thanks for house sitting again."

Kisuke scratched the stubble on his chin and sighed. "Any time, Kuchiki-san. Make sure you visit the kids soon. They miss you." He turned and made his way towards the door before saying goodbye.

Rukia whipped out a special phone Kisuke invented and pressed a few buttons, and within seconds, her Soul Rider clothing turned into her sleeping attire. She yawned and pulled off her ring—Kisuke called it the Soul Ring—and dropped it into the drawer of the bedside table. Switching off the lights, she let her heavy eyelids fall and drifted off into a comfortable sleep after a stressful night.

**(A/N): Eh, I don't really think I'm cut out for writing action, but it's worth a shot! I hope you liked the first chapter of The Soul Rider. Hopefully it caught your interest. **

**Until next time,**

**KawaiiShofu**


	2. Rude Ass!

**(A/N): I'd like to thank you guys for adding this story to your favorites and alerts. It's nice to know you have faith in me as I write this story. ^_^ Thank you so much!**

**Please enjoy chapter 2 of The Soul Rider and excuse any mistakes—I wrote this extremely late at night…**

Chapter 2 – Rude Ass! 

Ichigo put together his best outfit and looked over it in the mirror. He turned around and adjusted his shirt, smoothing out creases as he did so. _Man, I look good, _he thought. _Too bad this Rukia chick isn't young. _He wore a black dress shirt and a white tie, tucked into blue jeans that weren't too baggy on him.

He grabbed his car keys and ran down the stairs quickly to avoid any questions from his family. "Gonna go out. See you later," he called to Yuzu in the kitchen.

"Wait, Onii-chan…" she called back, but he was already out the door. She huffed in disappointment and wrapped a plate of food in saran wrap. _You forgot your lunch… again!_

Ichigo hopped into his car and started the ignition. He started driving and pulled out a notepad with Rukia's address on it. _0114 Shirayuki St…. Karakura City, Japan 71588… Where is it? _He continued going down streets and turning corners one by one until he found Shirayuki street. He looked at his cell phone for the picture of the house and looked back and forth between right and left, and finally he found the house on his right.

He pulled up into the driveway next to a parked car and got out, making his way towards the entrance of the home. Before he could knock, the door opened and a young man with fiery-red hair in a ponytail came out looking a bit disappointed.

"Sorry, Renji," Rukia said as she rolled her eyes and pushed him out the door. "I know we've been friends for a long time and all…and it'd be nice to be roommates with you… But, you can't cook to save your life. Find somewhere else to stay."

Renji pouted and walked to his car. "Fine, fine… I'll see around, then!" he called as he hopped in his car.

Rukia smiled and waved bye to him. Renji's had a crush on her since he met her, but the thought of living with him scared her—he was known for accidently starting fires. Realizing Ichigo was standing there, she turned to shake his hand. "Hi! What can I do for you?" She noticed how handsome he was, but pushed that thought aside; she was only meeting people who were renting, and she had to go to work soon.

Ichigo gawked at her with his mouth slightly open. Standing before him was a beautiful young woman with curves that suited her body, thick, long lashes surrounding pretty violet eyes, creamy pale skin and light-pink lips curled into a welcoming smile. Finally snapping back to reality, he shook her hand back. "I.. I uh… I was looking for Rukia… Is she home?" _She's probably Rukia's daughter. Maybe after my interview I can nail this chick…_

"You're looking at her," she said as she released his hand. She stepped aside and motioned him to come in with her hand. "Make yourself comfortable. Would you like anything to drink?" She closed the door as soon as he sat on the couch.

_That's Rukia? She's hot! _He smirked. _Time to turn on the charm. I'll have that extra room in no time. _"Nah, I'm fine, babe. Just take a seat and get to know me," he said in a flirty tone as he patted the spot next to him.

Rukia couldn't help but crinkle her nose. _Babe? Who does he think I am? A hooker? _She grabbed a juice box from the fridge and sat diagonally from Ichigo, crossing her legs. "Sorry, I'm taken," she informed him as she sipped her juice. It was true—she was dating the handsome Kano Ashido, the half-French, half-Japanese man who worked as the new bartender at the Brilliance Bar downtown.

Ichigo scowled. _Bitch doesn't want to sit next to me. Alright, gotta step up my game… _He leaned over and grabbed her hand, planting a kiss on it. "You won't be after today," he whispered huskily. He started trailing kisses up her arm, like he did to Senna yesterday night.

She slammed her hand into his face and pushed him backwards onto the couch. _This is one rude-ass punk. Maybe this is the guy Urahara-san was talking about. _"You must be Ichigo," she said casually, ignoring him. "First things first—can you cook?"

He rubbed his face and blinked at her, appalled by what she'd just done. "Bitch…" he whispered under his breath, earning him a cold glare. "Yeah, I can cook. My younger sister taught me." He pulled out a couple other things, recalling what else was required to rent the room. "I have a cell phone and a car," he said as he dangled the keys in front of her and flipped his cell phone open, "And I work, but barely. Every Wednesday, I get money for gas from my job at the club."

Rukia crossed her arms. "Well, I suppose you're in luck. All I need is for you to cook and take me to the hospital when I need to go. I'm a bit accident-prone," she lied. Truth was, she got most of her injuries fighting crime at night—but she couldn't trust just anyone with that secret. Like any other superhero, there was bound to be someone targeting the Soul Rider. "I just need you to make breakfast, lunch, and dinner. And to house sit when I'm out at night."

Ichigo smirked. "Ohhhh, party girl, huh?"

She sipped her juice and raised an eyebrow. "…Sure," she lied again. She was probably roaming the streets on her aircycle, but she'd never tell a rude-ass like him that information. She grabbed the notebook she'd written about the interviewees in and flipped through them:

_**Shiba Kaien**__: Has cell phone and car. Doesn't know how to make dinner. Very nice, smart, and handsome, though. Also has a wife. Can't risk having two people here._

_**Hinamori Momo: **__One of those little shy girls. Knows how to cook, but is very hesitant. Takes about 2 hours to get meal ready. That's too long. Has a car but is too scared to drive it anywhere at night. No cell phone._

_**Inoue Orihime: **__Knows how to cook…. for monsters. Food is unappetizing. Who the hell eats onions dipped in strawberry sauce? Cute personality. Very nice, and likeable. Pretty. Got lost on the way here, and back home. Cannot trust with driving._

_**Kurotsuchi Mayuri: **__Has cell phone, car, and offered to take care of my wounds. Has a daughter who can cook. Problem is, there is only room for one person. Plus, his creepy smile doesn't ensure that I'll be safe if he tends to my wounds. _

_**Abarai Renji: **__Idiot friend. Doesn't know how to cook. Almost burned down house. Dumbass. Kicking him out in 5 minutes._

_**Kurosaki Ichigo: **__…_

She dragged her pencil next to his name and started dulling the lead.

**Kurosaki Ichigo: **_Rude-ass. Flirtatious. Strange hair color. Has cell phone, car, and will be available to take me to the hospital. Seems completely sane. Can cook. Not an eye-sore. Barely has a job. Perfect for house sitting, but we __will not__ get along. _

Rukia sat up and straightened out her dress. "Follow me. I'll show you around the house." He gladly obliged, already taking a liking to the living room.

_Yes! One damn step closer… _He followed her and looked around, impressed with how nicely decorated the house was. "Hey, Rukia?" he asked. "How much would I have to pay each month?"

She didn't bother to turn around and look at him when she talked. "Nothing. All I need you to do is to live under my rules, cook for me, and to be available when I need you to be. By the way, this is the kitchen," she said, pointing to various drawers that held different items.

He remembered which items were in which cabinets and continued following her. _No way! I don't have to pay for shit! This is perfect._ He followed her into another room, which she revealed as the library. Hundreds of books covered the shelves all around the room, and there was even a separate shelf for manga.

"…You read manga?" he asked her disbelievingly. She brought her hands to her hips, feeling the corners of her lips turn down. "Yes! Especially horror manga," she said defensively.

"No need to raise your voice at me." His eyes wandered around the room until he caught a glimpse of Shakespeare. "You read Shakespeare?" he asked, trying not to seem too interested. Truth is he loved Shakespeare. Ichigo was a smart man, having graduated college at a young age. He excelled in English but aimed to be a doctor, but ever since Grimmjow introduced him to womanizing, he couldn't—more like refused—to go get a good career.

Rukia nodded. "Yeah, one of my favorite authors—you know, aside from manga-ka." She motioned him to follow her upstairs after he finished reading the spines of some books. "This is my room," she shared as they neared the first door on the left of the hallway. "It's OFF LIMITS. If I catch you in there, you're dead."

Ichigo scoffed. "What could a midget like you do to a strong guy like me?"

Rukia ignored him again. She was already used to men challenging her strength, and she knew she would hand their asses to them in seconds. The fact that she could school them was all she needed to know to resist kicking their asses. She was too smart for that.

She pointed across the hall. "And this is the room up for rent."

He pushed the door open, revealing an empty room. There was a window on the far side of the wall, and across from that was a closet. The floor was wooden and polished, and the walls were light-green. "I like it."

"Good. The bathroom is at the end of the hall. The door next to my bedroom is the coat closet. You've already seen the living room, so I guess that's the end of this tour." Rukia turned to leave and descend down the stairs.

Ichigo shoved his hands in his pockets and followed her. "So, when will I know if I got the room?" he asked before leaving.

She still didn't look at him when she spoke. "I'll decide on that tonight. Expect a call around 7. Bye."

He couldn't help but scowl. _At least look at me when you talk! _"Alright. See you later." Before closing the door behind him, he peeked back inside and smirked. "…Are you sure you have a boyfriend?"

"…Get out," she sneered.

His eyes widened and he could taste the venom she spoke with—no one's ever talked to him that way. _Crap. I've just lowered my chances of renting… _He closed the door without saying a word and quickly got into his car. _Forget this! Time to go pick up some chicks at the club. _

Rukia grimaced at the thought of him. _Who does he think he is? Trying to smooth talk his way into getting the room… Pathetic. I know who I'm __**not **__hiring. _She went upstairs and quickly changed into her work uniform, which consisted of a white dress shirt that was buttoned up to her chest with the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, a black high-waist pencil skirt, and black laced high heels; it was very form-fitting. She gathered her long hair and clipped it up behind her head, giving her a sexy but sophisticated up-do. This attire made her popular with the men at work, but she didn't pay attention to any of them—work was important to her, and she had a boyfriend.

She grabbed her special cell phone and slipped on the Soul Ring before heading off to work. Anything that happened at night could happen during the day, and she wanted to be ready for whatever came her way.

X-X-X-X-X

Inoue Orihime strolled down a street intersection, happily humming a catchy tune. In her hands she held plastic bags full of random foods, such as the more odorous vegetables, candy syrups and different types of cheeses. _Hmm, what should I make today? _she pondered. _I have a date with Kurosaki-kun tonight… I have to make something delicious! _The cheerful woman planned on bringing over one of her strange, stomach-churning dishes, hoping to impress and win him over with her cooking skills.

"The chicken alfredo and the kid's plate for table 5!" called Hisagi Shuuhei, head cook at Sweet Tea. Rukia turned at the sound of his voice. "Coming, Shuuhei!" She dashed over to him and took the plates out of his hands. Shuuhei couldn't help but blush—he was one of the many workers who felt an attraction to her.

She smiled at him and made her way to table 5. She set the correct dishes for the appropriate ages. "Here you go, sweetheart," she said as she placed the kid's meal in front of a cute little girl. "Tank yoo, Rukia," she said; Rukia was a favorite among the children.

One of her favorite parts of the job was talking to the kids; she loved them as much as they loved her."Enjoy your meal!" She smiled sweetly and went back to the kitchen, waving to the girl as she did so. Just then, she could hear her special phone beep in the pocket of her apron. Red letters flashed vigorously on-screen:

"_Trouble at the intersection of Karakura and Hachi. Type: Car accident. When: In 10 minutes."_

A map and directions followed the message. Rukia quickly turned to the closest waiter she could see. "Kira!" she yelled to the blonde waiter. "Can you wait on tables for me? I…" _Shit, I can't tell him I'm the Soul Rider! _

Kira felt his cheeks heat up and raised an eyebrow. "…You what?"

She sighed, "Uh, I need to go to the bathroom! You know, girl stuff!" She frantically pulled off her apron and took out the small notepad she used to take orders on, throwing them at him. "Duty calls!" she yelled behind her as she ran out the door.

Grimmjow, another waiter at Sweet Tea, scowled at Kira. "Man, you're lucky she talks to you!" He grabbed the apron out of Kira's hands and sniffed it. "Even her apron smells good…"

Kira snagged it back from Grimmjow and scowled. "Hands off! She asked _me _to hold it!" They sneered back at each other and tugged on each others' vests for a while before finally being separated by Ukitake Jushiro, the owner of the restaurant.

Rukia sped down the streets of Karakura City on her aircycle, now clad in her Soul Rider uniform. She rode with one hand while holding her cell phone in the other. _I'm getting closer… _

"_2 minutes until destination."_

Orihime continued humming and dancing as she walked home from the grocery market. Not too far from her, an armed mugger drove a hijacked truck and frantically sped down Karakura Street, carelessly driving in between cars no matter how small the gap. Nearing the intersection of Karakura and Hachi, he couldn't see the large oil truck crossing his path. Finally, it came into his field of vision.

"Shit!" he yelled. He stepped on the breaks and turned the steering wheel in fear that he might collide with the oil truck. He swerved to the left where Orihime was walking.

She could feel her eyes widen, and she dropped the grocery bags. Frozen, she couldn't move or scream; she was too shocked, too caught in the moment... Tears built up in her eyes. _Am I going to die today…?_

Rukia could see Orihime from where she was. She saw the car swerve towards her and stepped on the acceleration, speeding by Orihime just in time to grab her hand and pull her onto the aircycle. The wind from the speed of the vehicle dried the tears that threatened to drop, and she could see the hijacker hit a telephone pole as the oil truck made it to the other side safely. She glanced up to face a glossy, shaded helmet and soon processed what was going on.

"S-Soul Rider-san!" she squeaked. She couldn't believe her eyes; there she was, on the same vehicle with the savior of Karakura City.

Rukia smiled under her helmet, recognizing her as the nice woman who also interviewed to rent. "Are you okay? I'll let you off here—I have to go stop that hijacker." Kisuke built in a voice disguiser, so whenever Rukia needed to talk, her helmet would project a deeper, slightly digitalized voice that still retained her feminine tone.

Orihime nodded, which Rukia took as her cue to set her down. After setting her down safely near a group of people at a bus stop, she turned around and accelerated towards the area where the hijacker almost hit Orihime.

"Shit, the Soul Rider's here!" The hijacker backed up from the telephone pole and sped off in the opposite direction Rukia was going. The telephone pole was close to falling over onto the cars passing by, keeping her from turning around again and chasing him.

She took out one of the guns on her belt and fired at the base of the pole. A mound of ice froze the pole to the concrete, saving the cars below. Pedestrians started clapping and cheering her on, along with some of the citizens who stopped their cars to clap in gratitude.

Cop cars rushed to the scene and a news copter followed Soul Rider, trying to catch every move on tape.

Rukia left her aircycle on the sidewalk, her plan already figured out. She jumped on the top of a cop car driving by and asked the driver to follow the hijacker, which he gladly agreed to. She leaped from car to car, leaping high into the air at a great speed and height thanks to the modified soles Kisuke built into her boots.

She landed on the cargo part of the truck and slowly stood, spreading her arms out for balance. The hijacker glanced in the mirror, smirking when he didn't see any sign of the Soul Rider behind him. His smirk wiped off when he heard a loud thump from above. "The hell—!"

He opened the door in an attempt to get out and escape at the last minute, but failed. Rukia back flipped, her hands grasping the interior of the passenger's seat through the window and swung her body in, kicking the hijacker out of the opened driver's door and into the open window of the cop car. Officers ran to apprehend him as fast as they could.

Rukia quickly reached over to the driver's seat, stepping on the breaks to prevent the truck from lunging off the side of the street and into a lake. She swerved from left to right, desperately trying to stop it. Finally, the truck skidded to a stop a few inches away from the edge of the street, printing the street with tire marks.

The second she stepped out of the truck, Matsumoto Rangiku, the reporter for a popular news station, shook her hand vigorously.

"Soul Rider-san! It's such an honor to meet you!" she said joyously. "I'm your biggest fan!" She turned to the camera crew and cleared her voice. "Rangiku reporting! I'm here with Soul Rider-san, who just saved a pedestrian, prevented a telephone pole from falling on many cars, and stopped a hijacker!" she pointed the microphone towards Rukia, "Do you have anything to say to the world, Rider-san?"

"Please look both ways when crossing the street. Thank you," she said quickly. "I must be on my way now." She waved goodbye to the camera before leaping back to her aircycle, leaving everything up to the police. Construction workers from nearby sites tried to repair the damaged telephone lines near the intersection while the police and a tow truck took care of the things near the lake.

When Rukia got back to Sweet Tea, talk about the Soul Rider filled the large room. She got back to work safe and sound, resuming her waitress duties as if she had no idea what was going on.

X-X-X-X-X

Rukia tapped her pen against the notebook with the list of interviewees on it. She couldn't decide on who to hire. Ichigo seemed like the perfect person for the job, but she just didn't get along with him and she didn't like his personality. She'd been sitting for nearly half an hour trying to figure out who to choose.

Her home phone rang, snapping her out of her deep thoughts. She picked it up and answered, "Moshi moshi. Kuchiki residence."

A deep voice replied on the other side of the line. "I saw you on the news today and wanted to check on you. It seemed dangerous. Are you injured?"

She practically jumped out of her seat and immediately smiled, recognizing the voice. "Nii-sama!" she nearly exclaimed. "I'm fine. It wasn't that bad."

"I'm glad," Byakuya sighed as he held a framed picture of himself and Rukia taken a couple weeks ago when he came to visit her. He missed her terribly, but he wasn't the type of man who'd admit that out of the blue. "How did the interviews go?"

She lifted herself up from the living room couch and walked around the room, playing with random objects here and there. "Good. All of them were nice," she said. _Except one…_

"Hire a woman," he suggested. He didn't want any man living with his Imouto-sama—he already wanted to kill Ashido for dating her. There was something he just didn't like about him…

Rukia sighed. "But Nii-sama, you know I don't get along well with women…" It was true—the women around here felt threatened by her popularity with the men. Sure, there were plenty of women who were extremely beautiful, but their personalities were no match for hers. Rukia had a personality that exceeded beauty on every level.

_Why do men have to find my Imouto-sama so attractive? _Actually, he couldn't blame them—Rukia looked almost exactly like Hisana, and Hisana was the most beautiful woman he'd ever seen."Very well. You may hire a man, but choose the one you know you will sustain an amicable relationship with—though an inimical relationship would be better." He didn't want any more guys trying to be buddies with her.

She could feel her eyes roll. "Okay, okay…" No matter how much she disagreed with it, she always listened to her Nii-sama's words of advice. She valued his opinion over everyone else's. The whole world could tell her the same thing, but if her Nii-sama's words contradicted it, she'd take his side in a heartbeat.

"I will be visiting in a week or two. We can go watch shows and have dinner, if you'd like." Byakuya didn't feel like an older brother. He had a position in the Omnitsukido, giving him little time to spend with Rukia. So, every chance he got, he'd show up at her doorstep for a visit, usually with a bouquet with various flowers in hand, ready to take her out for the day. It was his way of saying sorry for not being there.

Rukia couldn't help but smile on her side of the conversation. She loved her Nii-sama to death, and it made her happy to know that he still enjoyed taking her out whenever he was free from work. "That sounds great, Nii-sama," she said, trying not to sound too excited.

Byakuya slightly smiled himself. "Until then. Sayonara, Rukia."

"Sayonara, Byakuya-Nii-sama." As soon as the line went dead, she huffed in aggravation. _I guess I know who I'm hiring…_

She picked up the phone and started dialing numbers.

**(A/N): I know you guys don't want Ashido and Rukia to be together since this is an IchiRuki fic, but I can't let Ichigo be the only one who got some love… But don't worry! In the end, IchiRuki always wins.**

**Until next time,**

**KawaiiShofu**


	3. Pain

**(A/N): I forgot to thank those of you who reviewed… My bad! I love you all, though. I didn't get added to alerts or favorites that much, or receive many reviews, but that's okay with me. I'll continue to write because I actually enjoy writing this story, haha. **

**Anyway, please enjoy the third chapter of The Soul Rider!**

Chapter 3 – Pain

A deep sigh escaped the carrot-top's mouth as he stacked the last empty cardboard box. He had just finished moving all of his belongings into his new home, and he was tired. Across from him sat the raven-haired woman, panting hard after struggling with him to get his heavy bed frame, followed by the actual bed itself, up the stairs.

He still couldn't believe it, though. _She thinks I'm rude as hell but she chose me. How did that happen? _He wasn't going to complain, though. He got what he wanted, and that was all that mattered to him.

Last night, during his date with Orihime, the curvy girl's cell phone rang after she told him about her encounter with Soul Rider. She picked it up and was presented with disappointing news, and as soon as she hung up, his phone rang. Rukia called to congratulate him and he almost jumped out of his seat.

"R-Really?" he squeaked. "I got the room?"

She nodded with her cheek against the phone. "Yeah. You can move your things here tomorrow. Bye."

Before he could reply, she ended their conversation. Completely bewildered but stoked, Ichigo ate a mouthful of the stomach-churning strawberry onion soup with mozzarella bits that Orihime made. Unfortunately, he made a run for the toilet, ending their date.

Ichigo brushed his palms together to shake the imaginary dust off his hands. As soon as he turned around, a scowl played at his lips. "What the hell are you doing sitting on my bed?" he exclaimed. Usually, he'd be delighted to have a woman as gorgeous as her on his bed, but if that woman wasn't intimate with him at that moment, he didn't want anything to do with her.

Rukia was surprised. "Wh-What do you mean? I just helped your weak-ass carry this crap in and you're yelling at me for sitting on your bed?"

He could feel his scowl deepen. He pointed his index finger at her in accusation and anger. "_I'm _weak? _You're _the one who's tired! You're so tired you can't even stand, which is why you're on my bed in the first place!"

She immediately stood and brought her hands to her hips. "_I _can stand perfectly! _You _were the one who asked me to help you bring your bed up! Baka!"

The tall man bent over towards her to have a greater effect. "A guest shouldn't have to ask the host for help! _You _should have offered to help _me _in the first place!" he growled.

Rukia started tipping on her toes. "Guest? What guest! I see no guest!" she turned around with her arms spread out, pointing out that they were the only two in the room in a smart-aleck way. She faced him again on her tip toes and poked his chest hard. "_You _are _not _a guest! _You _live _here_ now, so take care of your own crap!" Crossing her arms over her chest, she huffed, "And what kind of man asks a woman for help? Obviously, you aren't chivalrous. If anything, _you _should have carried _me _up the stairs!"

His teeth gritted. "Wh-WHAT? _Hell _no!" After each word, he pressed his forehead against hers harder. "_I'm _so chivalrous, _all_ the girls in Karakura want to get with me! Why the hell would I carry _you _up the stairs! You have legs, don't you? And are you sure you're a woman? 'Cause you fight like a damn _man_!"

Rukia was positive you could see the anger in her eyes. She felt a vein pop on her forehead. "YOU WANNA SEE ME FIGHT LIKE A MAN?"

A vein popped on Ichigo's forehead as well. "BRING IT ON, MIDGET!" He crouched slightly and positioned himself, preparing for whatever she was going to throw at him.

She cracked her knuckles as she made a fist and swung at him as hard as she could, hitting him directly in the nose. His nose sprang a leak of blood as he flew backwards against the stack of cardboard boxes, knocking them over and clearing the way for him as his cranium hit the hard wall.

He stood, pinching his nose with one hand and rubbing the back of his head with the other. "…Why you..." he growled lowly. He scowled so hard his lips were frozen.

There she was, standing before him with a smirk of triumph on her face. "What's the matter, Strawberry?" she taunted. "Can't hit a girl?"

Ichigo felt his eye twitch. He ran as fast as he could and picked her up, grasping the fabric of the back of her shirt and sticking two fingers through one of the belt loops on her jeans. "I ain't afraid to fight you, baka chibi!" He threw her to her room through his door with such force and speed that she skidded on the floor halfway through the air, stretching her skin against the polished, wooden floor, which gave it a burning sensation.

Rukia slowly got back on her feet, coughing when she felt dust balls in her mouth. "Y-You ungrateful brat!" she sneered. She sneezed and rubbed the red spots on her skin, continuing: "You should be grateful that I'm letting you live here! All you have to do is cook for me and do some chores!"

Just as Ichigo was ready to argue back, both of them heard the doorbell ring. Rukia brushed off her clothing, fixed her hair, and rushed down the stairs, putting on a cheerful smile before opening the door. Ichigo followed her soon after.

As soon as she opened the door, a handsome young man grabbed her hand and kissed it. "Bonjour, chérie," he said as he brought his face up to meet hers. He smiled kindly when he saw her blush.

She smiled back at him. "Hey, Ashido," she greeted. "Did you come here to visit me?"

Ichigo could see how flustered she was around him. _Tch, he doesn't even look that good. _

Before Ashido could answer, a light, feminine voice came from behind him. "Ashy, next time wait for me!" a woman whined as she panted. She was a cute girl, almost Rukia's height. She had shoulder-length blonde hair, grayish-blue eyes, and small pink lips accompanied by rosy cheeks.

Her appearance surprised Rukia. "…Hi, Anya," she greeted. "I see you're with Ashido. Again." Anya was Ashido's ex-girlfriend who remained close friends with him after he broke up with her. When he moved to Japan from France 3 years ago, he left Anya behind. But, she came to Japan to visit him over a month ago, and ever since her arrival, Ashido pushed every date he had with Rukia aside.

Anya batted her eyes and smiled insincerely. "Hey, Ruki!" Every time Ashido brought Anya along to go visit Rukia, they'd always pretend to like each other. Anya sugar coated every word when she talked to Rukia, even giving her the nickname "Ruki".

Ashido finally realized there was another presence in the room. He extended his hand to Ichigo and introduced himself, trying to steer the girls' attention towards them to avoid any cat fights. "I'm Ashido. You must be Kurosaki-san. Rukia's told me about you; how do you like it here?"

Ichigo scratched his head. "Yeah, that's me. I dunno, man. Haven't gotten used to the place yet." He smirked and pointed at Rukia, "You're _dating _that_? _Oh c'mon, man! She's a baka-chibi! You can do better than her!" He raised a brow when he saw Ashido glance at Anya.

Rukia's leg suddenly shot diagonally upward into his ribs from where she was standing. "Shut up, baka-chigo!" She redirected her attention to Ashido and smiled again. "So, why are you two here?"

_B..Bitch! _Ichigo thought as he coughed and held his ribs.

Anya turned her head and batted her eyes again. "Ashy wanted to visit you. Again. But I don't see the point, since you seem to be SO friendly with your roommate," she said in a cheerful, cutesy, slightly accusing voice.

Rukia glared at her, giving her a fake smile. "_That_," she pointed to Ichigo, "is **not **my friend. And, Ashido used to tell me about how excited he was to see you again. But I don't see the point, since you seem to be SO bitchy with… just about everyone!"

Ashido could see Anya turn red. Her nostrils flared and her fists were ready to punch. Before she could pounce on Rukia, he pushed her out the door, knowing Rukia could tear her up in pieces. "Uh, An, wait in the car, okay?"

"Fine!" She glared at Rukia one last time before abruptly turning around to walk to his car.

Rukia frowned a bit. "An and…Ashy?" she questioned him as she shook her head slightly. "I thought you two were just friends."

Ashido brought his hands up defensively. "We are! Don't jump to conclusions, sweetheart. Je t'aime." He smiled at her, "I told her to sit in the car and wait for me earlier, but she insisted on coming in as well. I'm sorry."

For some reason, his apology didn't seem sincere to Ichigo, but by the looks of it, he had Rukia convinced. He rolled his eyes and ran a hand through his hair. _Dumbass. I wouldn't ditch a hot chick like Rukia for a tomato like Anya._

It felt like Rukia had no choice but to smile. "It's… okay," she said. Love blinded her, and she was passive when it came to dealing with Ashido. "When is she going back to France?"

Ashido squeezed her shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Don't worry about that. She'll be gone before you know it. I have to go now—An and I are going to Paradise Hill."

She looked at him with suspicion. _That's a spot for couples… _She faked a smile, "O-Okay, have fun!" He looked extremely happy when he was around Anya, and she didn't want to ruin that for him. And, what if they were _really _friends?

When he nodded, she puckered her lips up for a kiss, but she felt his lips on her cheek instead. "I'll see you whenever, okay?" he said, unsure of what to tell her.

It felt like someone wrung her heart. "…Whenever you're free, then."

He smiled at her one last time before closing the door behind him.

Once the door clicked shut, Ichigo scoffed and pointed his thumb at the door. "You actually trust him with that whore?"

His insult to Anya almost made Rukia laugh out loud. "I guess. It's fair—I mean, I trust him hanging out with his ex, and he trusts me living together with you."

He scratched his ear and yawned. "You're an idiot. You can't just leave your boyfriend with his ex. Especially since they're going to a couple's place right now."

Not wanting to think about Ashido, she changed the subject. "So uh, let's go decorate your room. I saw a bunch of posters in one of the boxes up there."

He could tell how she was feeling about Ashido and Anya together—she was in no mood to argue. Instead of protesting against her helping him decorate like he normally would have done, he followed her up the stairs.

XxXxX

Rukia held a framed picture in her hands; she found it at the very bottom of a box. In it, Ichigo scowled with his arms crossed over his chest, a little distant from the rest of the people in the picture. Next to him stood a handsome, tall man with jet-black hair and a beard, smiling while playfully messing up the hair of the two girls in front of him. The girl with the sandy-colored hair smiled back at him, but the girl next to her scowled. All of them had a distinct feature that resembled Ichigo, so she figured it was a picture of his family.

Ichigo stepped back and eyed his room all around. "It looks better than my old room, I gotta admit," he thought aloud. He noticed something in Rukia's hands, "What's that you got there?"

Rukia smiled softly at the picture; it brought back bittersweet memories of when she, Hisana, and Byakuya were together as a family. She pushed her feelings aside when she heard Ichigo's deep, attention-grabbing voice. Turning around, she held the picture outward and gave him a full view of it. "Why don't you hang this one up? You and your family are so cute."

Her heart practically stopped when he quickly snatched it from her. "Don't fucking tell me what to do you fucking midget," he sneered venomously.

She looked at him disbelievingly, surprised at how much he got worked up—his face was as red as a tomato, and she didn't need x-ray vision to see that his teeth were gritting behind that cold scowl. "Okay, I don't know what your problem is, but—"

He cut her off, his nails marking the silver frame in his grip. Rage filled his chest and he could feel his face burning up. "Stay out of my damn business. Get the hell out—I don't need your help anymore!" Before she could say a word, he pushed her out the door and slammed it shut.

_No matter where I go to escape… I'm always reminded of you, Mom. _He hated being reminded of her. The memories of her weren't even bittersweet to him anymore—they were just absolutely painful. He separated himself from his family in an attempt to forget her, but all that's done is rupture the bond he shared with them. Isshin never gave up on him. Yuzu loved him like any sister should. And beneath Karin's words of hate and ice-cold scowls, she loved him, too. All he's done is push them away; he was too blind to realize he had one of the closest, most caring families in all of Karakura.

Sighing in hopes of releasing the anger in him, he squatted and opened the lowest drawer to his dresser, carefully placing the picture faced down.

Rukia glared at the carrot-top's door. _Get that stick out of your ass, you stupid baka-chigo! I let you stay here almost for free and you talk to me like that? _She frowned instantly and wished she could take back the thought. What if he was dealing with something emotional? She remembered how miserable she felt after Hisana's death… _But still, he didn't have to yell at me…_

She dressed into her work uniform and grabbed her SR items, then knocked on Ichigo's door. "Ichigo?" She waited for a while, but when he didn't answer, she went on anyway. "I don't know what I did earlier, but I'm sorry. Anyway, I'm going to work right now. I'll pick up groceries before I get home. If you need anything, just text me… I'll probably be home by 6. See you…"

Ichigo waited for the front door to close. He scowled and continued throwing a hacky sack in the air, catching it before it hit his face. He was sprawled out on his bed, cooled down from earlier. He'd never been so mad at someone he'd just met, but he decided to forget about it.

Just then, an idea came to mind. _She said she was coming home at 6, right? _He picked up his phone and reviewed his recent calls—the person he was calling wasn't even important enough to be saved under a name in his contacts.

"_Hello?_" a cheerful, feminine voice answered.

Ichigo smirked despicably. "Hey, Sen? I have my own place now."

XxXxX

Rukia quickened her pace, three paper bags under her arms. The chilly winds of the afternoon air penetrated her coat, and she wanted to get home as soon as possible. It was only 5 in the afternoon, but it was nearly as dark as the night sky.

She was walking against the wind in her high heels, trying her best to keep any of the groceries from falling out. _This is when I wish I had a car_, she grumbled. She turned a corner into a dark alley, getting some contents of the grocery bags ready.

In the far back corner sat a man with tattered clothing. He had gorgeous red hair and the prettiest pair of emerald-colored eyes, which made him extremely handsome. His hair was dripping wet, and he was wrapped in a newly purchased towel. Once he heard the click-clacking of high heels, he looked up.

Meeting eyes of a violet-blue hue, he smiled instantly. "Rukia," he breathed out. "How are you?"

Rukia smiled back at him. "Hey, Nova," she greeted before handing him a bag of groceries, which he took gratefully. "I'm doing okay. I have a new roommate; his name's Ichigo. Ashido's still hanging around Anya. Anya's still a bitch," she said plainly.

Nova thanked her, chuckling at her story. "Well I'm glad to hear you're so happy," he said sarcastically.

Nova was from Inuzuri, just like Rukia. Bandits and samurai groups did not threaten Karakura, but Inuzuri was part of Rukongai, one of the most sleeziest, poorest places in Japan. Many young females thought he was handsome, and out of mere jealousy, bandits beat him ever y day. When he couldn't take it anymore, he escaped to Karakura in hopes of finding a better life. Instead, his life worsened. He wasn't near those he trusted, and he didn't have anything to survive on. Karakura was a city, and it was tough trying to find ripe fruits and vegetables that weren't on stands in the markets.

But then he met Rukia. The second she laid her eyes on him, she rushed into the nearest market and bought him warm clothes, food, and a blanket, and ever since then, she'd been buying him groceries that would last him a week every week for the past month. When his clothes were ruined again, she'd buy him a new outfit.

"I can't stay for long," she said, shivering. "Ichigo's probably waiting for me to bring the groceries home." She took a couple of coins and bills out of her bag and handed it to him. "This is for clothing, and use the payphone to call me if you need anything, okay?"

Nova nodded enthusiastically. "Thank you so much, Rukia. I don't know how I'll repay you.."

Rukia smiled sweetly. "Don't worry about it. Take care of yourself, okay?"

He flicked his thumb up and grinned. "I'll be fine. _You're _the one who needs to take care of herself, Soul Rider-san…"

XxXxX

Rukia tried to feel around for her keys in her bag as she bit the edge of a grocery bag to keep it from falling. _Shit, where is it? _She continued to reach around, and once she found it, she quickly turned it in the lock.

Without glancing the slightest bit towards the living room, she stripped off her trench coat and set the groceries down. She turned, "Ichigo, I'm ho—" but the sight on the living room couch cut her off.

Ichigo and his date from two nights ago, Senna, were making out on the couch. Though, it wasn't exactly making out—Senna was thrashing her lips against his, and he just laid there and did nothing. He didn't even hold her while they kissed while she had her hands all over him.

"Who are you?" Rukia yelled, eyes wide with her hands in the air.

Senna broke the kiss and turned around immediately, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Who am _I? _Who are _you? _And what're you doing in Ichigo-kun's house?"

The raven-haired woman gaped unbelievingly. "_Ichigo's _house? HELL no. This is MY house. I paid for it!" By now, they were at each others' throats.

Ichigo's eyes widened. _She's not supposed to be home until 6! _He sighed and decided to end things once and for all. "Sen, listen…" he said in his alluring, seductive voice.

Senna instantly melted. "Y-Yeah, Ichigo-kun?" She blushed and batted her eyes at him, trying to look as cute as possible.

He smirked devilishly and pointed to the door. "Get out. We're through. I never liked you and I never will. This whole time, I was just trying to get you in bed. But, you're too easy, so I might as well crush you right here, right now."

She could feel her heart stop and her body freeze. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "B-But, I thought…" She stuttered uncontrollably and couldn't stop shaking. She really liked him and all this time she was being played like a game.

Ichigo scowled. "Whatever the hell you thought was wrong. Now get the hell out of my house."

Tears started building in her eyes, and she grabbed her purse and ran out the door as fast as she could, sniffling and sobbing the whole way.

Rukia crossed her arms and tapped her foot, glaring at Ichigo. She shook her head, disappointed, and spoke slowly but angrily. "I let you live here and the second I'm gone, you have a woman over?" She was about ready to slap the man. "First of all, that's disrespectful! Second of all, you completely crushed her! That is so fucked up!"

Ichigo shrugged and yawned. "What's it matter? You didn't even like her, anyway. You never said anything about not being allowed to have anyone over!"

"It doesn't matter if I don't like her! That was a douchebag move! How would it feel if someone you loved crushed your heart and soul like that?" she growled at him. The groceries spilled all over the floor, but she ignored it, seeing as it could easily be cleaned up.

That just set him off. He could feel a vein pop on his forehead and neck, and he balled his fists up so tight he was ready to fight. Crushed your heart and soul? Ichigo thought he knew that feeling more than anyone else! "What the **fuck **do you know about being crushed? Have you ever fucking lost someone so dear to you? You're so annoying!"

She pointed at him and fixed her glare. "Don't fucking talk to me like that, you ungrateful brat!" She stepped closer to him and pushed his forehead with her finger. Her teeth were gritting, and she could feel the heat build up in her chest. "_I_ of all people know what it's like to be crushed!"

He towered over her and barked in her face. "I can fucking talk to you any way I want to!" He gripped the collar of her shirt and pulled her closer. "My fucking mother died from illness, you bitch!"

Rukia spat in his face and kicked him in the shin, causing him to lose his balance and fall on the floor. "Shut the hell up, you filthy bastard!" Her voice was slightly shaking, but she still kept her strong stance. "My _sister _was murdered _right before my eyes_!" She slapped him hard across the face before turning abruptly towards the stairs.

"You have absolutely **no right **to talk to me that way, you filthy, ungrateful, scum of a bastard!" she cried hysterically as she ascended up the stairs slowly. She grabbed a bag of groceries and poured it on him. "Here's your damn groceries, brat." She let go of the paper bag and let it float slowly onto the floor next to Ichigo. "Go make your dinner. I lost my appetite."

Ichigo sat in silence for what seemed like hours. _Murdered? In front of her? _It made his mother's death come in second place. Rukia's version was brutal and stomach churning. He felt like a complete idiot and jerk, but he knew he couldn't take back what he said about her.

He quietly picked up the groceries and put them in their appropriate spots in the kitchen, and quietly ascended up the stairs, having lost his appetite as well.

**(A/N): I rushed the ending a little bit. Sorry! School's up around the corner and I just want to get this chapter out before I go back, haha. **

**I hope you enjoyed chapter 3 of The Soul Rider!**

**KawaiiShofu**


	4. Datepology

**(A/N): I've been really inactive. Like, really. Sorry about that! It's one month into summer and I haven't really been writing any fics. I've been really lazy, I have my own personal problems, and I had major writer's block. But I'll try to write a good chapter!**

**In this chapter, the songs that I'm going to use are Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne and Take a Hint by the Victorious Cast. I do not own any of these.**

**I know that Victorious is somewhat a silly show, but their songs are pretty good, and I like the high notes that they can hit. If you haven't heard of any of the songs, I suggest you listen to them on YouTube to really get into that imagery. **

**I hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 4 - The Date-pology

Ichigo sat at the kitchen table silently sipping coffee as he read Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_. He started reading it at seven o'clock while waiting for Rukia to come home for dinner, and now it was eight thirty—he was nearly finished.

_Where the hell is she? _It had been a week since their argument. It seemed as if she forgave him without _actually_ forgiving him, but Rukia never looked at him once, and only spoke to him when she was spoken to. She was never angry, and when he asked her if she was, she would shake her head, but he had a feeling deep inside that she was.

Ichigo looked at his watch. _Eight forty. What could you be doing at this hour? _Ichigo thought Rukia's life was boring. She was a waitress, her boyfriend barely hangs out with her, and she did not party. He knew she should have been out of work by now, especially since she texted him that she'd be home by six thirty.

The carrot-top sighed. He read the last line of _Romeo and Juliet_ and shut the book, setting it on the corner of the kitchen table. He looked around, from his finished, empty plate and Rukia's cold plate of spaghetti to the many books spines in the library. Though he had only been living here for a week, he discovered many things about Rukia just by examining her stuff. For one, she _loved _juice. Her fridge was full of it. She also loved candy because he found staches of it hidden around the house. _She must really like chocolate covered strawberries_, he chuckled to himself.

He had examined almost every inch of the house—except for Rukia's room. _I wonder what's in there that she's so secretive about. _Whenever he was bored, he would imagine that there was a candy sanctuary in there, or a million Chappy the Bunny posters all over her walls. _I can't believe she still plays with that stuff_, he laughed out loud. He glanced over to the Chappy doll on the corner table in the living room. _I guess it's kind of cute. _

Ichigo felt something vibrate in his pocket. "Wonder who's calling," he wondered aloud. He pulled out his cell phone: **Rukia Kuchiki**. He swiped his thumb across the screen and held it up to his ear.

"Hey, where the hell are you, Rukia?" he asked, annoyed.

"I-Ichigo," the petite woman breathed out on the other end of the line, "_Please _help me.."

The annoyance in his tone disappeared—it sounded like she was in trouble. "Rukia? Where are you? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she panted. "I need you to take me to the hospital, now..."

The young man scrambled around for his car keys. "Where can I find you?"

"The alley by Karakura Park. Between the liquor store a-and the music store," she breathed before hanging up.

Ichigo knew where she was talking about. He shoved his phone in his pocket and finally found his keys. Grabbing his coat from the coat hanger, he ran out the door and to his car.

XXXXXX

Ichigo parked his car in the liquor store parking lot and exited the car. He ran into the alley where Rukia had said she was and immediately caught sight of something.

"Rukia?" he called out. "Rukia? Hey, Ru—" He noticed a red, liquid substance that trailed behind the dumpster in the alley. As he followed the trail, he looked all around for the small woman, until he came across a broken heel. He picked it up and examined it. _Is this Rukia's?_

A groan could be heard nearby. Ichigo's ears perked up and he turned his head towards the sound. "Rukia?" he called. He ran with the heel in his hand, calling her name as he did so.

"RUKIA!" he yelled before tripping over something and face-planting into the concrete. "Gah—Holy _SHIT_! That hurt!" He wiped his face and sat down, holding his knee. His jeans were ripped at the knee, and through the hole he could see blood seep through the scrape. "Damn, what the hell is lying around in this alley?"

Ichigo turned around and found Rukia's other heel. "Another one?" he wondered as he scratched his head. _She must be near. _"Rukia?" he called, looking around. "RUKI—"

He finally found her. His jaw dropped in horror—there she laid, her waitress attire bloodied by the three deep, long scratches across her stomach. There were about four scratches on her face, two of them bleeding as blood dripped down her neck. An enormous, purplish-blue bruise on her leg was visible from a mile away.

"RUKIA! Are you okay?" the carrot-top yelled with angst. Though he seemed like a heartless, womanizing jerk, he wasn't going to leave anybody to die. He scooped the woman up in his arms and carried her bridal style to his car. _She's still breathing_, he thought, relieved.

He opened the door to the front passenger seat and reclined the chair, allowing Rukia to lie down next to him as he drove. "Don't worry," he assured her, "I'll get you to the hospital as fast as I can." He made sure the seat belt was buckled securely over her, and made his way to the driver's seat.

XXXXXX

"Because you were the one who discovered her in this condition it is required by Karakura Hospital rules that you stay with her the rest of the night."

Ichigo scratched his head. "Is she gonna be okay, doc?"

Dr. Unohana nodded. "She will be fine as long as she gets some rest. Though the wounds on her abdomen are deep, we will be able to heal her soon. Please," she directed him to the seat next to Rukia's hospital bed with the wave of her hand, "If you desperately need anything, press the red button next to her pillow."

The carrot-top sunk down in his seat and tapped its arm rest with his fingers. "Where the hell did you go, you crazy bitch.." he thought aloud as he stared at the petite woman in bed. The woman's wounds were crazy to him but he got over the extremity within a couple hours.

Urahara and Dr. Unohana were watching Ichigo from the hospital's hallway. "How bad is it?" the blonde-haired man asked. "How did it happen?"

Dr. Unohana sighed. "We can heal it in no time using kido. I am assuming she was in another Soul Rider accident, Urahara-san." Unohana, along with all of the Onmitsukido, Urahara, Jinta, Ururu, and Tessai, knew of Rukia's secret.

The man scratched his chin stubble and sighed in grief. "Her missions are getting more and more dangerous... Two weeks ago she was almost decapitated."

Unohana stroked the braided strands of hair under her chin. "You need to tell her about everything. About the hogyo—"

"I know," Urahara interrupted. "But now is not the right time. She is not ready yet. She needs to train more before she can handle everything that will be thrown at her."

The expert healer opened her eyes. The glare from the hospital lights reflected in her navy blue eyes. She stared directly into Kisuke's eyes and gave him a killer smile. "I hope you know what you are doing, Urahara-san." And with that, she continued down the hall.

Kisuke sighed deeply before opening the doors to Rukia's room. Smiling, he walked towards Ichigo and held out his hand. "Hello! My name is Urahara Kisuke. How are you today, Kurosaki-san?"

The carrot-top eyed the suspicious looking man from head to feet. "Who the hell are you?" The blonde man's voice sounded familiar to the young man, but he couldn't put his finger on it. _Why's this geezer in Rukia's room? Probably one of her friends! Haha!_ He glanced over to the hospitalized Rukia before looking back at Urahara._ ...Okay, I admit that was a dick joke..._

"What? You don't remember me?" Kisuke gasped. "I was the one who answered Kuchiki-san's phone! The one who scheduled that interview for the room you wanted to rent!" The man began to cry tears of fakeness, sobbing as he fanned himself. "I am absolutely hurt!"

Ichigo raised a brow as he tried as hard as he could not to make a disgusted face. "Really? … Oh yeah! I remember you!" _What kind of acting is that?_

"Of course you do! Nobody can ever forget who I am!" Kisuke winked in a friendly manner. "So why do you look so grumpy, Kurosaki-san?" He poked Ichigo's chest with his cane and smiled.

Ichigo sighed. "I dunno," he breathed, "I guess I feel kinda bad."

Kisuke pulled up a chair and sat across from him. "About?"

The young man pointed his thumb at Rukia. "She and I got into a fight last week. It was pretty bad. I had no idea her sister was murdered and I kind of acted like an ass to her. But ever since, she hasn't looked at me and she claims she isn't angry but I can totally tell she is! Lying bi—"

Urahara sighed. "For as long as I've known Kuchiki-san, I know that she does not like having bad blood with someone else. Someone who is now her ally," he shared. "She probably still is angry at you. But because you are her new housemate, she has decided that there were more important things to worry about than a silly argument. She needs you and you need her, even though you've only known each other for so long."

Ichigo looked up at the wise-sounding man. _Should I believe him? He looks like he knows what he's talking about.. _"So then what should I do? I'm tired of her not looking at me when I talk to her. It's annoying."

"I would suggest apologizing to her."

"_Apologizing to her." _

"_Apologizing to her."_

"_**Apologizing**_."

Ichigo had never apologized to anybody in his life, except for his mother. When he did apologize to somebody, it would be insincere. _Apologize?_ He had not apologized to anyone in so long that he'd practically forgotten how to say sorry!

"Uhhh, alright. Thanks, Kisuke!" he said. "I guess I'll try that..."

Kisuke gave him two thumbs up. "Glad I could help, Kurosaki-san! Take care of her now!" And he stormed out of the room.

_That was weird_, the carrot-top wondered. He examined Rukia's body—her torso was covered in bandages and gauges were bandaged to her face. An ointment was rubbed across her leg, covering the bruise with aloe infused chemicals in order to heal it. _Hmm. She looks kinda hot like this. Kind of like a hot superhero who just fought crime_, he laughed to himself.

He couldn't have been more right.

XXXXXX

The petite woman's vision was blurred as she opened her beautiful violet eyes. Stretching her arms, she turned her head to the right and saw her beloved carrot-head housemate.

"I had no idea that you wore glasses," she smiled, without looking directly at him.

Ichigo sat by her with his reading glasses on. Earlier, he had gone home to fetch his cookbook for chocolate recipes due to boredom waiting in the hospital. He had also changed his clothes since Rukia's bloodied uniform stained his dress shirt. He sat there, clad in his basketball shorts and Karakura High tank top for men. "Of course you didn't. If you had stayed home or gone home like you had said, you would have probably seen me with them on," he said in a scolding tone. _Gross. I sound like a dad._

Rukia felt a vein pop on her forehead. "Sorry, _mom_," she sneered. She turned her head to the other side and rolled her eyes. _Asshole_.

The young man sighed. "My bad."

_Wa-was that an apology I just heard? _She felt her ears perk up. "Sorry, what?"

Ichigo ran a hand through his orange locks. "I'm sorry," he managed to choke out.

She pouted, slightly. "Oh. I know it was just a joke—"

"No," he interrupted her. "I'm sorry about last week. That night. I'm sorry. I had no idea. And I promise I won't bring anybody home without your permission. I'm really sorry. Now will you quit acting like a child and look at me?"

Rukia slowly turned her head back to the guilty carrot-head and looked him in the eye. His chocolate-brown eyes looked absolutely sincere. They practically pleaded her to forgive him. She was stunned in a way—Ichigo didn't seem like the type who would apologize, especially since she thought he had no heart.

"Oh... Well, I forgive you then," she smiled. "I said I wasn't mad. And I'm not."

Ichigo smiled back at her sincerely, for the first time. "Alright. Just wanted to make sure, midget."

Rukia scowled. "What did you call me, orange filth?"

He growled back at her. "Orange filth? If it weren't for me, you would have died in that alley!"

And just like a week ago, they were at each other's necks.

XXXXXX

The raven-haired woman sat on the couch in her living room, in the middle of a phone call.

"Yes, I'm fine," she replied. "No, you don't need to take days off—I swear, I'm fine!" She had been on the phone with her Nii-sama for an hour, arguing about if she actually _was _fine or not. "Yes. I'm sure! Okay. Alright. Arigatou, Nii-sama. Sayonara." The woman sighed and stretched her arms. "That man is so hard to convince," she wondered aloud.

Ichigo stood at the oven with a hand towel folded over his shoulder. "Your brother seems really... overprotective? Is that the word? Yeah, that's the word..." he commented as he tasted his lasagna. "Dinner's ready!"

Rukia made her way to the dinner table and sat down across from Ichigo. He set the lasagna down between them and went to the refrigerator to get their drinks. "Juice again?" he called over his shoulder.

"You know it," she replied happily.

It had been three days since Rukia had been hospitalized. Dr. Unohana's kido spells really got the job done—no scars were left behind and Rukia felt as healthy as ever. Those who knew about the Soul Rider knew what had actually happened, but to Ichigo, all he knew was that a gang tried to mug her and fled the scene after swinging a pitch fork at her.

Ichigo sat down and scooped himself part of the lasagna. He stared at Rukia as he dug into his meal, confused. "So... What do you do when you have free time?" he asked. He knew she didn't do much and he was pretty sure she had finished every novel in her library. What else could she do in her spare time?

The raven-haired woman swallowed a piece of her lasagna. "Well..." she said as she wiped her mouth with a napkin, "Sometimes my older brother would come pick me up and he'd take me out the whole day."

"Awwwww, isn't that so so sweet," Ichigo teased. "Aren't you a little old to be taken out by your brother?"

Rukia glared at the carrot-head. "It's not like he's taking me on the merry-go-round... He takes me out to fancy restaurants and buys me expensive stuff... Things that I really don't want or need. But spending time with him makes me happy, because, well..." Suddenly, she felt empty inside. She began to fiddle with her food and her eyes became dull.

"...Because he's all I have."

Ichigo instantly felt guilty—something he hadn't felt in a while. He hadn't talked to anybody like he was talking to Rukia right now, except for Grimmjow, so he did not know what to say. "I, uh..." he began. "I... I didn't know." _Man, I thought only her sister was... yeah..._

"It's fine," she assured him with a smile. "I didn't really know my parents anyway. It's no problem." She sipped some of her juice and continued. "But yeah, I love to spend my free time with Byaku-nii when he doesn't have work. But when he does, I go jogging, or I sing, or I clean, or I hang out with Urahara-san's kids... All kinds of stuff! What about you?" _Please don't say womanizing, you jackass.. _

The carrot-top tapped his fingers rhythmically on the table. "I... don't really know. I usually go on dates or something. Or I jog." _I sing, too, but I don't really want anybody to know about that... _He cleared his throat and continued, "Well, yeah... I guess my life consists mostly of dates!"

Rukia rolled her eyes. _Of course you'd say dates, AKA womanizing!_

"Come to think of it," Ichigo smirked, "I haven't been on a date in a long while. Like a week." He gave her a cheeky smile and looked at her in a strange way.

The petite woman scowled. "Are you suggesting that _we _go on a date?" _Please! You're the last person I'd want to go on a date with!_

"You got it, babe—a friendly date!" The carrot-top grinned evilly. _She's fucking hot, so why not? It's not like I'm tied down to one woman—AND she's like, 10 hot girls put together!_

"Sorry but Ashido and I have a date tonight," she said as her cell phone rang. "I wonder who it is," she thought aloud: **Kano Ashido**. She slid her phone and answered her call before leaving the dinner table. "Hold on," she mouthed to Ichigo.

"Hey, what's up?" she greeted her boyfriend.

Ashido smiled. "Hey! Do you remember those spots I reserved for us at _Feel the Love_?"

Rukia smiled as well. "Yeah, are we still on for tonight?"

"Well, the thing is..." the red-head began, "Anya has been _dying _to go there, and I would be a rude host if I didn't fulfill her desires, right?"

The raven-haired beauty frowned. "I... I guess not..."

Ichigo glanced at Rukia from the dinner table. _I guess her dick of a boyfriend just cancelled on her_. Her frown sort of made him feel bad about it. _Geez, this is what happens when you live with another person, Ichigo! Especially since you're attracted to her!_

Ashido scratched his head on the other side of the conversation. "So, you're cool with it?"

Rukia sighed. "Yeah, whatever..."

Her boyfriend smirked. "Thanks! You're the best. Bye!" And with that, he hung up.

The carrot-top could hear the ringing of the ended call from the kitchen table. "Everything okay?" he asked her when she came back with her shoulders drooping.

"Yeah, couldn't be any better," she replied, moping. She continued to push the lasagna around her plate with her fork, not wanting to eat any. "He just cancelled on me—again!"

Ichigo shook his head. "Isn't that the fifth time this week? What was his excuse this time?"

Rukia pouted. "I don't know! It's always Anya this, Anya that! What about me? I've always been there for him and I feel like I'm being thrown around like nothing... He said he had to take up the spots he reserved for us at _Feel the Love_ because Anya really wanted to go... Even though I made it clear to him that going there was on my super-mega-to-do list!"

Ichigo looked up suddenly. "_Feel the Love?_ The club down Zetsu street? I know some pals there that can get us in like nothing!"

The small woman's eyes lit up. She held her hands and folded her fingers over each other and looked at the man hopefully. "Really?" she asked with excitement. "Will you take me?"

The carrot-top shrugged smugly. "Only if it's a date."

Rukia practically jumped out of her seat. "Oh, thank you, thank you, thank you!" She rushed over to Ichigo and gave him a quick, tight hug. "You're the best housemate I've ever had!"

Ichigo glared playfully at her. "I'm the _only _housemate you've ever had..." _She smells pretty damn good._

"Whatever!" she said carelessly but happily. "Let me go get ready!"

The carrot-head couldn't help but smile at how happy he had made somebody. "Geez, it's been awhile since I made somebody _that _happy..." It seemed to him that only yesterday he was playing hide and seek with Karin and Yuzu. They would always giggle when Ichigo walked right past them. _I guess I kind of miss those rascals..._

XXXXXX

After 20 minutes, Rukia ran down the stairs. "Okay, I'm ready!"

Ichigo had already been dressed for the club, so he sat on the couch and waited for Rukia to come down. "Man, what took so lo—" his comment was interrupted when he laid eyes on her.

The beauty's hair was tied into a ponytail and curled slightly at the ends, giving her a romantic look. Her bangs were clipped up, exposing more of her beautiful violet-blue eyes. The sterling silver necklace in the shape of a heart made her the silky, creaminess of her skin stand out. A sexy, sleeveless black dress that stopped right above the petite woman's thighs made all of her curves stand out. In that dress, she had the perfect body, and her waist was _begging _him to wrap his arms around them. The dress wasn't too short, or 'slutty'. It was elegant and fit for somebody of Rukia's character—it made Ichigo's mind wander all around, and he could feel a nosebleed come up. Even her black high heels—heels that although were high, did not make her seem any taller—made her legs look sexy and smooth.

"Well? What do you think?" Rukia turned her body around so she could show Ichigo every inch of her outfit. It wasn't like her to get excited over an outfit, but she was so excited to go to the club that she wasn't quite acting like her usual self.

"It's-it's..." Ichigo gawked at her. _It's gorgeous! _

Rukia smiled. She grabbed Ichigo's arm and linked her arm with his. "I'll take that as a 'You look nice', Strawberry," she teased.

He led her to the front door and smiled, slightly embarrassed. _I can't believe I lost my cool like that! _"Yeah, yeah... Whatever you say, Midget." He opened the front door and walked her to his car.

XXXXXX

When Ichigo and Rukia arrived at _Feel the Love_, the place was packed with people. It was so packed that Rukia had to hold Ichigo's hand through the crowd—she did not know her way around the club, but Ichigo did.

"Do you wanna watch Karaoke Hour?" the carrot-top asked his date.

"Do I want to watch Poké Power?" the short woman shouted back. The music was so loud that she couldn't hear his question.

"No! Do you want to watch Karaoke Hour!" he shouted back.

"Oh! That makes more sense! Okay!" she replied.

He took her hand and led her to the front seats of the stage. The music died down and soon the rest of the seats were filled. People stood in the aisles and around the stage when all of the seats were taken.

"This place has the best stereos," Ichigo informed the beauty. "You can tell when somebody's lipsyncing or even if they're nervous."

Rukia smiled. "I love karaoke!" she shared with him. "I can't wait to see how good these people are."

Hirako Shinji, co-club owner, took the mic on stage. "Hey everybody! Havin' a good time out there tonight?" He pointed the mic to the audience, who replied with an energetic, "Yeah!"

"Alright, that's good! Mighty fine!" he said. "Now for our first contestant for Karaoke Hour... She came all the way from France—here's Anya!" The audience clapped in politeness, as they did for everybody who wanted a chance at Karaoke Hour.

Rukia crinkled her nose. "Gross," she complained as she crossed her arms in aggravation.

Her date chuckled. "Jealous now, aren't we?"

That earned him a nice punch in the arm.

Anya took the mic, and as she did so, she noticed Rukia in the crowd. Smirking, she brought the mic closer to her lips and made sure to emphasize her voice so her enemy could hear what she had to say. "Hey, everybody!" she said in her usual, fake-cutesy voice, "I wanna dedicate this song to my SWEETHEART over there in the third row—the handsome Kano Ashido! Hi Ashy baby!" She pointed and waved to the redhead in the third row, two rows behind Ichigo and Rukia, but it did not seem like he was aware of their presence.

Rukia's eyes widened. _Sweetheart...?_ She instantly frowned and turned around towards the direction where she was pointing. There sat her boyfriend, Ashido, waving back at his _actual_ girlfriend Anya on stage. Rukia could hear him shout, "I love you too, babe!" back at her, but all she could do was sit there and listen to it all. She felt betrayed and hurt, but she was on a date with Ichigo and she was sure she would irritate the people in the front row by getting out, as it was packed with people.

Ichigo could see the look on Rukia's face. He touched her hand slightly, as he was awkward with situations like this since he would usually hit on his date the whole night, and asked, concerned, "Hey midget, you okay?" He knew how she felt about Anya, but he figured it was best for her to find out sooner or later about her actual relationship with Ashido. The carrot-top knew not to say anything when his date covered her mouth and nodded slowly, as she was shocked. Though her nod was seemingly unsure, he knew that she, in the end, would be okay.

Anya's smirk grew. She could see Rukia's reaction and enjoyed seeing her hurt. _How convenient that she showed up here! Could this day get any more perfect? _"I'll be singing _Girlfriend _by Avril Lavigne for my one true love!" The crowd clapped in politeness and quieted down while she sang.

However, once she began to sing, everybody wanted to get up and run for the hills. Her cutesy voice did not match the pitch of the actual song, and when she danced along to the beat, her body and vocals would move up and down with her movements, which set the pitch extremely offbeat.

The soda that Ichigo was drinking practically shot out of his nose. He coughed and wiped his mouth with a napkin. "Holy _SHIT_," he said to Rukia, "This girl is H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E! Her singing can kill somebody!"

Rukia laughed. His comment made her feel slightly better, but not completely. "I guess I should have seen it coming," she shared with him. "I should have known," she said as she shook her head, "I'm not really _that _hurt, but I still, I dunno..." Her mind lingered around for the right word, but Ichigo interrupted her train of thought.

"You want to get revenge?" he asked.

The petite woman smiled. "Yes! Revenge!" she stared at Anya as she finished the last line of the song—which most people were gagging to—and an idea instantly popped in her mind. "And I think I know the perfect way to get my revenge..."

Shinji took the mic from Anya and clapped awkwardly for her as she bowed to the audience. "That... was.. uh..." he tried to think of the right word to say, but her singing was absolutely terrible! "Uh.. That was something, alright!" his voice cracked slightly, but he coughed to clear his throat. "So, who's next?"

Rukia raised her hand. "I'll take the mic," she said.

Shinji smiled. "Well, alright, lil' lady. Come on up!"

Ashido could not see who the sexy-looking woman was. Her back was faced to him, but there was one thing he thought he knew about the front of her—_She must be fiiiiiine! _He turned to Anya, who had just walked off the stage, and gave her a peck on the lips. "That was great, sweetheart. This next girl probably won't be able to top you," he lied. _Oh GOD! Please top her, PLEASE!_

Rukia whispered her song choice to Shinji, her back still turned to the audience. She brought the mic to her lips, "This one's for the same guy that the previous girl sang to."

The red-head looked stunned. "Hey, I know that voice..." _Rukia?_

Still with her back facing the audience, the beauty spoke into the mic again. "This song describes how I feel about him. And just letting you guys know out there that his name is Kano Ashido and he is a big, fat CHEATER."

The audience clapped for Rukia and booed at Ashido. Some even threw their empty food boxes at him. They began to quiet down when the song began.

_I wonder how well this midget sings_, Ichigo wondered. He sat down, relaxed and ready to listen to his date sing.

The background singing included in the karaoke version of the song played before Rukia sang.

_La la la la la la la_ _la la la _

The guitar in the audio began to play, which the raven-haired beauty swayed her hips to. She opened the clip keeping her bangs away from her face and let them fall on her face, giving her a more sexy look.

As soon as she began to sing, she turned around dramatically, giving her hair a bouncy, sexy look—sexier than it already was.

_Why am I always hit on by the boys I never like? _

Rukia danced along with the song lyrics, and pointed to her left and to her right when the timing was right.

_I can always see 'em coming from the left or from the right._

_I don't wanna be a priss, I'm just tryna be polite,_

She twirled her hair around her finger and moved her head side to side along with the rhythm of the song.

Ichigo couldn't close his mouth. He was amazed by how well she could sing. She hit the high notes and didn't stutter, and her dancing was in sync with the song. _Wow... She's... Amazing! _He couldn't stop staring at his date. The way she shook her body on stage made her more attractive to him. _Dang! I so wish I could nail her right now!_

The crowd cheered her on and clapped during the song. They thought her singing, compared to Anya's, was off-the-charts fantastic. Even Shinji began to dance, and as long as Ichigo has known his good friend Shinji, he had _never _seen him dance to anything before. He would just nod his head along with the rhythm, but this time his whole body was involved.

_But it always seems to bite me in the... _

_**Ass**k me for my number, yeah,_

_you put me on the spot._

_You think that we should hook up,_

_but I think that we should **not**!_

The sexy, raven-haired woman pointed directly at Ashido and smiled sweetly. The look on his face was priceless! He wanted to leave, but he couldn't due to the packed space. He was _dying _from embarrassment! People all over gave him dirty stares, and he just wanted to get the hell out of there. His new _ex_-girlfriend pointed at him again, but this time coaxed the audience members into pushing him up onto the stage for her to increase the level of embarrassment she wanted to give him.

As much as he protested, he was pushed to the front row, away from his girlfriend who sang horribly, and landed right next to Ichigo. "Hey, man," Ashido greeted him. "You gotta stop your housemate—please! I'm dying here!" he begged.

Ichigo shrugged. "Well, you know... I _could _do that, but... Where's the fun in that?" He grabbed Ashido by the back of his shirt and one of his belt loops and threw him on stage, right next to Rukia.

_You had me at hello, then you opened up your mouth..._

_And that is when it started goin' south, oh!_

Ashido struggled to get up, but once he did, he tried to put his hands on Rukia's waist. "Rukia, I'm so sor—-"

She cut him off with her singing.

_Get your hands off my hips 'fore I punch you in the lips!_

Her ex-boyfriend instantly backed away and tripped over some of the wires.

_Stop your starin' at me, HEY!_

_Take a hint, take a hint!_

_No, you can't buy me a drink_

_Let me tell you what I think!_

_I think you could use a mint,_

_Take a hint, take a hint!_

Ashido got on his knees and begged her to stop embarrassing him, but she just ignored him.

_What about 'no' don't you get?_

_So go and tell your friends:_

_I'm not really interested!_

He stood up and wiped his face with his hand in aggravation. He had a headache and wanted to forget all of this—he regretted cheating on Rukia. _This is the WORST day of my life..._

Just as Ashido stepped back, one of the club bartenders holding a full tray of shots tripped on one of the wires. The shots almost hit Rukia, but she twirled around on stage and continued singing as the shots missed her and spilled all over Ashido.

_It's about time that you're leavin'!_

_I'm gonna count to three, and.._

_Open my eyes, yeah,_

_you'll be go-o-one._

Rukia closed her eyes and began to count.

_One: Get your hands off my—_

_Two: Or I'll punch you in the—_

_Three: Stop your starin' at my—HEY!_

Ashido ran off the stage in embarrassment, covering his face so that nobody would know it was him. Men and women began shouting at him angrily to get out of the club. "Yeah, get lost, pal!" they yelled. "Nobody likes a cheater!" another shouted. Anya ran after him towards the exit.

The raven-haired beauty decided to end the song after two more lines and handed the mic back to Shinji. Everybody clapped for her, and Ichigo gave her extra-loud claps in support for her indirect break-up with Ashido.

"Give it up for Kuchiki Rukia!" Shinji shouted as he raised Rukia's right arm. The crowd cheered and applauded. Ichigo stood up and took her hand, giving her balance as she walked down the stage's short flight of stairs.

The way Rukia looked at Ichigo made him take it as a cue to drive them home.

XXXXXX

Ichigo parked his car in the garage and waited for Rukia to get out before clicking his car shut. They entered the living room through the other garage door, where he set his keys down on the end table near the couch. Stretching his long arms, he yawned and rubbed his eyes.

"I'm beat," he said. "I'll see you in the morning?"

Rukia grabbed his arm and turned him around to face her before allowing him to take one step upstairs. "Wait!" she said before pecking his cheek.

Ichigo didn't know it, but he was blushing madly. No girl has ever kissed him there like that—there was some sort of passion, some sort of... sincerity in that kiss. When girls kissed him there, it would usually resemble how a dog would lick its master after waiting all day for him to come back.

"Wha-what was that for?" he asked, his voice cracking due to the surprise cheek kiss.

The short woman shrugged. "For taking me to that club. If you hadn't known Shinji, there was no way we could have gotten in—and you in a way helped me find out the truth about Anya and Ashido."

The carrot-top widened his eyes, but gave her a small smile—something he rarely gave. He ran a hand through his orange locks and shrugged as well. "Anytime." He walked a couple steps upstairs, but stopped after the fifth step. "By the way, you're..." He tried to think of how to compliment her without sounding offensive. "You're not terrible at singing, if you know what I mean," he continued without turning around.

It was Rukia's turn to blush. She couldn't help but smile at his compliment. "Thanks, I guess.." she replied.

Ichigo could see the look on her face through the mirror on the wall opposite of them. His smile widened—he was positive she wasn't able to see it. "Night, Midget."

"..Good night, Strawberry."

**(A/N): Did you like this chapter? Didya, didya, didya?**

**I hope it's not too long. And I hope the singing didn't piss you guys off. I like to make Rukia a singer in my fics because her Japanese voice actor is really good at singing—have you guys listened to the Bleach Beat Collection? Her duet with Ichigo is amazing.**

**If there are any mistakes, I apologize! I did not re-read it to fix any mistakes... Sorry!**

**Until next time,**

**KawaiiShofu**


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